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‘A Long Day in a Tin Can’ New Zealand Railways hostesses recall working the main trunk line in the 1970’s and 80's.
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New Zealand’s first diesel engine New Zealand’s first diesel engines were used at Dunedin’s Musselburgh Pumping Station from 1905. Only one of the two remains, and it is in MOTAT’s collection.
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‘We were novelties’: TEAL Solent Flying Boat Stewardesses MOTAT has the last remaining Mark IV Short Solent flying boat in the world in its collection. In the Walsh Memorial Library’s recorded sound archive, there are a number of interviews recorded by members of the Solent Preservation Society in the 1990s. In the late 2000s we recorded some interviews with stewardesses who flew on the Solents between Auckland and Wellington and Sydney, and from Auckland up to the Pacific to Tonga and Fiji, and on the Coral Route which went via Fiji, Samoa and the Cook Islands to Tahiti. The Auckland-Sydney route started in 1949, the Wellington-Sydney one in 1950. In 1951 the Coral Route began — at first monthly and then fortnightly.
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Redressing the Balance – A Brief History of Letter Balances and the Penny Post During my recent research of MOTAT’s Weights and Measures Collection, the letter balances, or postal scales, stood out – when did they first become popular and how are they relevant to New Zealand’s history?
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MOTAT’s Queen of the Rails How one of Auckland’s Last Trams contributed to the beginings of the Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT).
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A Polarising Sauce: The Essence of Anchovies In 2017, MOTAT received the donation of an unopened bottle of sauce carrying the title “Essence of Anchovies”. At first it may seem an unusual object for MOTAT's Collection, so let’s take a closer look at the unique history of this object.
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Tram No. 135 and its century of travelling the tracks Built in 1921, Tram No. 135's history of service in Wellington and journey to MOTAT is outlined.
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Harold Piper — What’s in an Aviator’s Logs? The Walsh Memorial Library hold eight logbooks of Banks Peninsula-born pilot Harold Lord Piper (1899–1965). Log books are an invaluable record for any pilot — tracing the different aircraft types flown, distances and conditions they flew in.
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To the South Pole in a farm tractor Read more

Tales from the Air: Batten’s Journey to Brazil Jean Batten is well remembered for her record flights between England, Australia and New Zealand. In 1935 she set off on another record breaking flight from England to Brazil in her Percival Gull aircraft.
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Lime e-scooters: Shared Micromobility Hits Auckland's Streets. Lime played a pivotal role in the introduction of shared-use scooters to New Zealand in 2018.
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The Human Story of an Adana Press <p>Researching the MOTAT collection often uncovers the story behind the object. A small printing press currently on display in MOTAT&rsquo;s Print Shop, has an interesting gem of a narrative connected to it via its donor. The press was used during the donor&rsquo;s notable career, which happened in the context of events in national and world history.</p>
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Preserving Time During the unprecedented times of the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend that re-emerged was the appreciation of a more slow-paced life. This resulted from having more time at home due to people’s movements being restricted to their neighbourhoods. People had more time to spend in the garden and exercise through, walks, running, biking and/or scooter rides within their bubbles. With the lack of takeaway options, home cooked meals and baking became more common;, this also included the act of preserving food.
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The Flying Kiwi: A Photo Essay The Walsh Memorial Library currently has a selection of objects and archival material on display to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Cliff Tait’s round the world flight in New Zealand manufactured, AESL Airtourer 115 “Miss Jacy.” The Library cares for the extensive photographic collection compiled by Cliff during this flight, which saw him away from his family from May — August 1969, something we’re all learned to grapple with during the COVID pandemic.
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MOTAT's Barclay 1270 Barclay 1270 is an industrial steam locomotive built by the firm of Andrew Barclay and Sons (now Brodie Engineering) in Kilmarnock, Scotland. The company manufactured steam locomotives from 1870 before moving on to produce fireless and, later, diesel locomotives. Many examples of Barclay locomotives have been preserved at museums and heritage railways in the United Kingdom and New Zealand, including Barclay 1270. MOTAT’s Barclay had an interesting history with New Zealand’s forestry, energy and mining industries in the 20th century - read on for more.
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Choysa Tea Trolley Bus During the 1960s and 1970s, Auckland had New Zealand’s largest trolley bus system, with 133 vehicles operating over 14 routes. The trolley bus, for the uninitiated, was the next step in the evolution of electric trams, a virtually trackless tram. This is a tall tale but true, of Auckland’s “Teetotal” Trolley bus...Trolleybus #115.
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The Magic of Cinema With cinemas opening up their digital doors to share the classics, Walsh Memorial Library's pictorial collection gives a look back at the glitz and glam of Auckland’s cinema in the early-mid 20th century.
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In Stitches: A Selection of Sewing Machines In use since the late 1700s, sewing machines have been a key component in both domestic and industrial technology. Contributing to the industrial revolution, providing uniforms for war, and altering domestic duties; sewing machines have evolved with social change throughout history. Often associated with the popular Singer name, sewing machines have become a symbol of women’s work, clothing production and factory jobs. It is interesting to note sewing machines were not manufactured in New Zealand but imported and sold under license by New Zealand retailers. The Museum of Transport and Technology (MOTAT) Collection has a variety of sewing machines, which represent New Zealanders links with these, once essential, domestic appliance and reveal a unique side business for vehicle manufacturers.
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Going Viral: Polio and the Iron Lung New Zealand has a long history of epidemics and pandemics - from the influenza epidemic that was reported by Māori in Foveaux Strait in 1817-20, to today’s COVID-19 pandemic. Protocols such as social distancing and the closure of schools and public venues has previously been seen in New Zealand’s history, affecting Kiwis throughout the early 20th Century due to a reoccurring epidemic - the Polio (poliomyelitis) virus.
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First Contact: Eugene Hirst and New Zealand’s Innovative History of Contact Lens Production Located at number 9 High Street in Auckland is the flagship store of Mortimer Hirst, an eyewear company associated with a rich history of contact lens innovation in New Zealand. The company is result of a partnership set up between optometrist Douglas Mortimer (1918–2005) and dental technician Eugene Hirst (1911–1989) in 1949, joint directors of both Mortimer Hirst and Hirst Contact Lens Limited.
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